Woolacombe & Mortehoe

• Woolacombe's award-winning beach is a popular destination.

WOOLACOMBE won the England for Excellence Gold Award for Family Resort of the Year in 1999. Its beach has been voted one of Britain’s best and lies between Morte Point and Baggy Point.

The beautifully kept, three-mile stretch of golden sand has won both the Blue Flag and Premier Seaside Beach awards. Its pedigree as a Blue Flag Beach has been confirmed again this year.

Woolacombe was originally farm land and was named after the family which owned the manor and estate in the time of King John.

• The parish church in the center of Mortehoe.

The next door village of Mortehoe is listed in the Domesday Book and takes its name from Morte Stone, the dangerous rocks just off Morte Point.

Visit Woolacombe for its wonderful sea and surf and you will soon realise why this is one of North Devon’s most popular holiday haunts. The village has grown substantially since it was discovered by the holidaymaker and can now offer a good range of shops, hotels, restaurants and other essential facilities. Don’t leave Woolacombe without visiting the New Gallery, where you can buy original work by local craft people.

And don’t forget to visit the open air market every Monday at Lee Crossroads between Woolacombe and Ilfracombe.

“Grunta Beach” at Mortehoe was so named after a ship carrying a cargo of pigs ran aground and all the pigs ran ashore grunting! The Chichester Arms, originally the Vicarage in the 1600s, became the village inn in 1820 and even today the owner has an inn keeper’s licence. You can see many old photographs both here and in the other popular pub, The Ship Aground.

If you want more information on the history of the 13th century church, pick up an information sheet or call at either the Woolacombe Tourist Information Centre, or the Mortehoe Heritage Centre.